Island
by aevee
Summary: TifaYuffie, TifaAeris oneshot, shoujo-ai. "No-one's an island, no-one can live by themselves... There're still people that care about you, maybe as much as Aeris did. I just thought I'd let you know that."


Staring at the white flower petal that rested underneath her fingertip, Tifa tried to forget about her past, but at the same time, refused to let go of it. Stroking the flower petal gently, she smiled. She wouldn't forget, she just couldn't let go.

Heaving a deep sigh, Tifa brushed away stray strands of hair that had drifted in front of her eyes, and gently pushed the flower pot away from her. In it grew a single white flower, a beautiful white flower, handpicked from the large field of them in the church. Aeris' church. Though rundown and seemingly abandoned, that church was the safe haven for all those beautiful flowers. And it wasn't abandoned anyhow, Tifa went there frequently, tending to the flowers. Though she didn't know exactly how flowers should be looked after, she gave forth her best effort, her deepest care, and the flowers seemed to flourish on that alone. Her deepest care, the care and love that would have been directed at another, had that person not have left her. Tifa treated Aeris' flowers the same way she would have treated Aeris, and in a way, Tifa hoped that that care would somehow transfer from the flowers to Aeris.

It had been so long since Aeris had left. Tifa had learned to cope, learned to continue on with life as best she could, make sure that things were normal. As normal as they could get after everything that had happened. Even though she missed Aeris horribly, she'd made sure to hide it. Being miserable herself was bad enough, making others miserable along with her was even worse. So she hid it behind half-false smiles, faulty laughs, anything she could do that would make her seem like her old self, but all those things seemed to have been broken and pieced together horribly with defective glue. Each thing she did, her smile, her laugh, they all seemed to have something missing. But try her best she did, regardless of what was wrong with her.

Another sigh. She could hear Marlene in the background, squealing and laughing, playing with the other children. Tifa managed a small smile. At least there were some people in the world who deserved happiness and got it. Aeris deserved so much more than she'd gotten. They'd only been together for so little a time, they'd only managed to open up to one another for such a brief moment, and then Aeris, being the selfless one, threw herself in front of the sword and saved the world. And died in the process. She'd left Tifa to live with only tears and memories, and a soft smile to look at, but that was never really there.

Marlene's laugh floated into the dreary bar, where Tifa sat, staring at the white flower. And then another voice. An extremely familiar voice.

"Hiya Marlene! Looks like you're having fun."

Marlene's carefree laugh answered.

"Yup! How are you?"

"I'm doin' great!"

"You here t'see Tifa?"

"You bet. Where is she?"

"Inside the bar."

"Alright then. I'll come back out and play with you later on, okay?"

"Sure thing! See ya!"

A laugh sounded, but it wasn't Marlene's. It wasn't carefree. Though it tried hard to be, Tifa could hear the slight note of bitterness in it.

The door creaked slightly as a petit figure pushed it open.

"Hey Tif."

Tifa turned away from her white flower, and smiled.

"Hi Yuffie."

Yuffie hadn't changed much. At least, she'd only changed as much as everyone else had changed. Yuffie wore black now, having thrown away her bright colours in exchange for something more somber, something that matched how she was. But come to think of it, everyone wore black. Tifa did too. The only splotch of colour on Tifa was her pink ribbon, tied around her upper left arm. The ribbon that was same colour as Aeris' dress.

"Haven't seen you in a long time." Tifa murmured.

"Yeah."

"Where've you been?"

"Around. I dunno, I wander. You know me, can't stay still!"

Yuffie cracked a grin, but only got a small smile in return. The grin quickly faded away, replaced by the ever-present mutely pained expression. The same kind of expression that Tifa always had. Yuffie slid onto the vacant stool next to Tifa.

"So, how've things been for you?"

Yuffie was quiet, so unlike her old self. Things had changed. Or rather, things had changed her.

"Things've been okay. Nothing too bad."

"And nothing too good, right?"

Tifa smiled her small smile again.

"How'd you know?"

"'Cause everyone's been like that."

"Hm."

There was silence between the two. Tifa stroked the soft flower petal again, Yuffie stared at the countertop, finger tracing idly.

"Has Cloud been 'round?"

"No. I've been answering calls for him, but that's it. Haven't seen him around for a long time now."

"Really. Well, I haven't either. Technically, I haven't seen a lot of people around for a long time."

A beat of silence.

"Honestly, Yuffie, where've you been all this time?"

"Around."

"Wandering. I know. But where?"

"Everywhere. I've been wandering 'round the world!"

Yuffie cracked another grin, but quickly wiped it off, seeing Tifa's serious expression. She coughed.

"I've been wandering around aimlessly. Thinking."

She said the last word so quietly, the laughter outside almost drowned it out. Tifa had to strain her ears to hear her.

"Thinking, hm? About what?"

"Things."

"Yuffie."

"Yeah?"

"Just answer me."

Yuffie turned in her stool and sat facing Tifa.

"I've been thinking about everything that's happened. About Cloud, Barret, Red XIII. Aeris," she coughed uncomfortably, "You."

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"What about me?"

Yuffie gazed at Tifa for a long time, simply gazing silently at her. Tifa returned her gaze with just as much silence.

"Just... about you. Nothing much, really."

"Really."

"Yeah."

Yuffie turned away and looked up, staring at the clock. Tifa sighed and returned to her flower.

It was a long time before Tifa turned to face Yuffie again. She could feel Yuffie's gaze on her.

"Tifa?"

"Yeah?"

"You still can't let go, can you."

Tifa sighed and turned away. It was true, she still couldn't let go. Was she really that transparent?

"You're right. I can't."

Tifa chuckled, but it was bitter.

"Is it really that obvious?"

It was Yuffie's turn to sigh.

"Tifa, you're constantly brooding. You're all closed up, no-one can get to you anymore. If that's not obvious that you can't let go, I don't know what is."

Tifa shrugged.

"Well, that's the truth. I can't let go. I can't, and I don't want to."

"Look, Tifa, I know that Aeris meant a lot to you, she meant a lot to all of us, but it's been so long since she... well, since she, y'know, left. Don't you think it's time that you learned to let go?"

"I told you, I can't, and I don't want to."

"Tifa, you're only dragging yourself down like this."

"No, I'm keeping myself up."

Yuffie turned away from Tifa and stared at the clock.

"Tifa, no-one's an island. No-one can live by themselves."

Silence. Yuffie sighed, shoulders drooping.

"Maybe... Maybe once you learn to accept that, maybe then you'll be able to let go."

"Maybe."

There was silence between the two again, Tifa staring at her flower, Yuffie at the clock. For a long while, neither of them moved. And then...

Yuffie's hand came up off of the countertop slowly, cautiously, before gently floating down again, with Tifa's hand between it and the surface of the dusty countertop. Tifa's first reaction was to pull her hand away from underneath Yuffie's, and for a moment, she was going to, but that hand, Yuffie's hand, was so soft, so warm. It was so similar to, but definitely wasn't, Aeris' hand. In the end, Tifa didn't pull away. Something in her stopped her.

They sat still, hands touching, for so long. It seemed like an eternity of silence, but it was actually so much shorter than that. Finally, Yuffie gently pulled her hand away, fingertips brushing softly against the back of Tifa's hand.

"Gotta go." Yuffie whispered.

Yuffie stood up and started walking towards the door. Tifa didn't respond. The door creaked again as Yuffie pulled it open, and she took a step out, but stopped. One hand still on the door, the other traced lightly along the wall until it came to a dainty rest on the door frame. Yuffie turned around to face Tifa.

"Tifa?"

"Hm?" Tifa murmured, not turning around.

"No-one's an island."

"I know."

"There're still people in the world who care about you. Maybe even as much as Aeris did."

Tifa didn't say anything, simply stared at her flower. Yuffie took one last look at her and turned away, ready to go.

"I just... thought I'd let you know that." Yuffie whispered, then walked out and let the door swing close.

It was several moments before Tifa could hear Marlene's happy squeal as Yuffie went out to greet her. There was laughter, Marlene's carefree bubbling and Yuffie's carefully hidden bitterness. Tifa sighed and continued to stare at her flower.

Nobody can be an island. Nobody can live alone.

Maybe it was true, and once Tifa learned to accept that fact, maybe then she'd be able to let go, let go of her past, of Aeris.

Or maybe, she'd be an exception. She'd be an island. An island with a single white flower.


End file.
